Ted Cruz: Not a Fan of Pride Parades

Withdrew Candidacy

Ted Cruz: Not a Fan of Pride Parades

Whether the issue is marriage equality or critical protection from discrimination, Texas Senator Ted Cruz has consistently opposed equality for LGBT Americans. And he’s gone even further, attacking fellow Republicans for marching in pride parades, warning of the threat of “mandatory gay marriage” and calling 2016 the “religious liberty election.” He has vowed to make his opposition to LGBT equality a centerpiece of his presidential campaign, and he has thus far lived up to that promise.

Marriage: As Solicitor General, Ted Cruz led the charge to deny Texas couples marriage equality. In the Senate, he has supported a constitutional amendment that would prevent the federal government from recognizing marriage equality and an amendment placing members of the Supreme Court up for election. He even said that Justice Anthony Kennedy should resign and that the Obergefell ruling threw the Supreme Court’s “very legitimacy into question.” He has said a ruling in favor of marriage equality was “fundamentally illegitimate.” Cruz has promised to campaign “front and center” on his opposition to marriage equality.

Discrimination: Cruz has consistently opposed granting critical nondiscrimination protections to LGBT Americans. Cruz has opposed both local ordinances that would have protected LGBT people in cities in Texas, and ENDA’s explicit federal workplace protections. Cruz has said “2016 will be the religious liberty election” and defended harmful discriminatory legislation in Indiana and Arkansas. Cruz stood behind Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, and said he would “absolutely” push for enactment of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) in his first 100 days in office.

Executive Orders: Cruz has said that undoing President Obama’s executive orders would “absolutely” be one of the first things he would do if elected, and said that every protection Obama put in place “can be undone in an instant by the next president through the same mechanism.”

Conversion Therapy: Cruz has refused to speak out against “conversion therapy” that coerces minors into “treatment” that can lead to depression and suicide. He believes that being LGBT is a personal choice.

Harmful Rhetoric: Cruz has no problem about using equality as a wedge issue against fellow Republicans – he’s attacked Republicans for appearing in pride parades, and having “New York values” such as supporting LGBT rights, and suggested that he believes being LGBT is a “choice.” He’s called letting kids use the bathroom that reflects their gender identity “lunacy”. Cruz has claimed that the Obergefell ruling would lead to “mandatory gay marriage.” He even bragged about intervening in a case to stop a civil union.

Adoption: Unclear

Anti-bullying: Unclear

Cruz’s Notable Quotes on LGBT Equality

Cruz Said Justice Kennedy Showed Utter Contempt For People By Supporting Marriage Equality And “People Are Not Obliged To Obey Justices Who Are Defying The Constitution.” The Washington Examiner reported: “Cruz said he found Kennedy's comments ‘stunning.’ ‘His opinion that [marriage between one man and one woman] is no longer sufficiently enlightened is not law,’ Cruz said. ‘People are not obliged to obey justices who are defying the Constitution, defying the law, who are committing acts of judicial tyranny. ‘And these statements from Justice Kennedy show just the utter contempt he has for the rights of the people to pass the laws to govern ourselves,’ he said.” [Washington Examiner, 11/13/2015]

Cruz Said Ruling In Favor Of Marriage Equality Was “Naked And Lawless Judicial Activism” And Warned Of “Mandatory Gay Marriage In All 50 States.” At Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to the Majority, Bloomberg reported that “Senator Ted Cruz of Texas accused Democrats of pushing “mandatory gay marriage in all 50 states,” and warned that a judicial victory for gay-marriage advocates could lead to government persecution of Christian churches and schools. He asked the crowd to pray that the justices “not engage in an act of naked and lawless judicial activism, tearing down the marriage laws adopted pursuant to the Constitution.” [Bloomberg, 6/19/2015; Faith and Freedom Coalition, Road to the Majority, 6/18/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “Religious Liberty Is Not Some Fringe View. It Is The Basis Of This Country” And Accused LGBT Activists Of Wanting To “Persecute” Those Who Disagrees With Marriage Equality.” The Dallas Morning News reported that “In the hour-long appearance at Morningside College in Sioux City, in Iowa’s conservative northwest corner, Cruz kept a tight focus on social issues even as he presented himself as a candidate who can appeal to many facets of the GOP. ‘Religious liberty is not some fringe view. It is the basis of this country,’ he said. He blamed gay rights activists and Democrats for the recent uproar over an Indiana law that would protect businesses who refuse to provide certain services on religious grounds. ‘Because of their partisan desire to mandate gay marriage everywhere in this country, they also want to persecute anyone who has a good faith religious belief that marriage is a holy sacrament, the union of one man and one woman and ordained as a covenant by God,’ he said.” [Dallas Morning News, 4/1/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said Arrest Of Kentucky Clerk Was “Judicial Tyranny…This Is Not America. I Stand With Kim Davis. Unequivocally.” In a statement, Cruz said “Today, judicial lawlessness crossed into judicial tyranny. Today, for the first time ever, the government arrested a Christian woman for living according to her faith. This is wrong. This is not America. I stand with Kim Davis. Unequivocally. I stand with every American that the Obama Administration is trying to force to choose between honoring his or her faith or complying with a lawless court opinion….“I call upon every Believer, every Constitutionalist, every lover of liberty to stand with Kim Davis. Stop the persecution now.” [TedCruz.org, Statement on Arrest Of Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis, 9/3/2015]

Cruz: “When A Mayor Of A City Chooses Twice To March In A Parade Celebrating Pride, That’s A Statement – And It’s Not A Statement I Agree With.” “Cruz: What I am saying is that when a mayor of a city chooses twice to march in a parade celebrating gay pride, that’s a statement - and it’s not a statement I agree with.” [KERA, 2/22/12; VIDEO]

Cruz: “I Believe That Engaging In Homosexual Conduct Is A Choice.” “On to Cruz, the former state solicitor general who prides himself on tough talk but ignored the question I e-mailed in favor of the one he wanted to answer: ‘I believe that engaging in homosexual conduct is a choice, and I do not believe that unelected judges should force States to adopt gay marriage, against the wishes of the people. Marriage is a fundamental building block of our society, and I have a proven record of standing and fighting to protect traditional marriage between one man and one woman.’” [San Antonio Express-News, 3/4/12]

Introduced The State Marriage Defense Act (twice) which would cede definition of marriage to states for federal purposes

Opposed Proposition 8 ruling

Ran for Senate based on his opposition to marriage equality

Bragged about intervening to prevent recognition of civil union

Said people can “vote with their feet” if they don’t like living in a state without marriage equality

Cruz Ran For Senate On His Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage. According to the Austin American Statesman: “Cruz, a former state solicitor general, repeatedly suggested that he has the best record of fighting for conservative principles. He pointed the audience to his website, which touts his record of defending lawsuit restrictions, the state's marriage laws and Republicans' 2003 congressional redistricting plan in court. ‘I have spent my entire professional life defending the U.S. Constitution,’ he said.” [Austin American Statesman, 6/8/11]

Cruz’s Spokesman: “Ted's Opposition To Gay Marriage -- And His Proven Record Fighting To Defend Traditional Marriage -- Is Clear And Unwavering.” According to the Dallas Morning News: “Cruz, in his bid for attorney general, which he abandoned to run for Senate, accepted $250,000 from Peter Thiel, a gay activist and businessman who is fighting efforts in California to outlaw gay marriage. ‘Ted's opposition to gay marriage -- and his proven record fighting to defend traditional marriage -- is clear and unwavering,’ Bernsen said. ‘Over 13,000 donors have contributed to Ted's campaign and not every donor agreed with Ted on every issue.’” [Dallas Morning News, 3/15/12]

Cruz: “Faith And Freedom Are Under Assault Right Now. This President Is The First President In Modern History To Put The Stamp Of The Presidency Behind Gay Marriage.” According to the Dallas Morning News: “’Faith and freedom are under assault right now,’ Cruz said, preaching to the choir. ‘This president is the first president in modern history to put the stamp of the presidency behind gay marriage,’ he said, then added the health care law, government spending and the mandate that religiously affiliated institutions provide contraception in employee insurance plans to his list of President Barack Obama’s political sins.” [Dallas Morning News, 8/26/12]

Cruz On President Obama: “The President Of The United States Has Officially Declared Himself An Enemy Of Traditional Marriage.” According to PBS: “Cruz: For the first time in centuries the president of the United States has officially declared himself an enemy of traditional marriage between one man and one woman.” [“Moyers and Company,” PBS, 8/31/12; VIDEO]

2013: Cruz: “The Constitution Leaves It To The States To Decide Upon Marriage, And I Hope The Supreme Court Respects Centuries Of Tradition.” According to the Dallas Morning News: “Sen. Ted Cruz said Tuesday that he was against same-sex marriage and hoped the U.S. Supreme Court would continue to let individual states grapple with the issue. ‘I support traditional marriage between one man and one woman,” Cruz said after speaking to the Richardson Chamber of Commerce. “The Constitution leaves it to the states to decide upon marriage and I hope the Supreme Court respects centuries of tradition and doesn’t step into the process of setting aside state laws that make the definition of marriage.’”[Dallas Morning News, 3/26/13]

2013: Cruz: “I Do Not Think It Is The Role Of The Courts To Be Tearing Down Traditional Marriage.” According to FlashReport: “Cruz: I support traditional marriage between one man and one woman. I do not think it is the role of the courts to be tearing down traditional marriage and in particular, the case before the US Supreme Court right now. I hope that the Supreme Court does not set aside the preferences of California voters who went to the polls and expressed their judgment as to what should be the marriage laws in the State of California.” [FlashReport, 6/23/13]

Cruz Said People Can “Vote With Their Feet” If They Don’t Like Living In A State Without Marriage Equality. “Cruz: Now, it is perfectly normal in a fifty-state nation that the values and policy judgments in one state would differ from those in another. That’s part of the genius of federalism, that the citizens of California are going to make different decisions than the citizens of Texas or the citizens of New York or the citizens of Illinois or Florida or Vermont. And people can vote with their feet. They can choose to live in a state that most closely reflects their values. I don’t think the federal courts should be stripping away the rights of each of the fifty states to decide marriage laws for their citizens.” [FlashReport, 6/23/13]

2013: Cruz Attacked The Supreme Court For “Imposing Their Own Policy Agenda” By Overturning Proposition 8 And Portions of DOMA. In a press release, Cruz said, “Today’s Supreme Court decisions on marriage are a regrettable overreach against the will of the people as expressed through large, bipartisan majorities in Congress and directly through referendum in California – a markedly blue state. Nothing in the Constitution compelled this result, and, once again, the Court has chosen to substitute its own views of public policy for the democratically expressed will of the voters. The family is the fundamental building block of society, and I strongly support traditional marriage between one man and one woman. The voters of California made that same choice, until the courts improperly substituted their preferences for those of the people. Our Federalism allows different states to make different policy judgments based on the values and mores of their citizens. Federal courts should respect that diversity and uphold that popular sovereignty, not impose their own policy agenda.” [Ted Cruz Press Release, 6/26/13]

Cruz: “We’re Facing An Assault On Marriage.” According to Right Wind Watch: “Cruz: On marriage there is no issue in which we need to be more on our knees because the momentum is with the opponents of traditional marriage. We saw a decision from the U.S. Supreme Court, a decision that some have heralded, even some conservatives have heralded, I think that decision was an abject demonstration of judicial activism. Five unelected judges saying we are going to set aside the policy preference of the state of California, the citizens not of some crazy right-wing state—California. The citizens of California went to vote and they voted and said in the state of California we want marriage to be the traditional union of one man and one woman, and the US Supreme Court, as a result of its decision said you have no right to define marriage in your state, we know better. We’re facing an assault on marriage. As pastors, each of you has a special responsibility and a special ability to speak to your congregations and to mobilize the people, and mobilize them more than anything to pray.” [Right Wing Watch, 7/26/13; VIDEO]

2013: Cruz: “I Support Marriage Between One Man And One Woman. But I Also Think It’s A Question For The States.” According to The Tonight Show: “Cruz also touched on a pair of hot-button social issues that have crowded the headlines throughout 2013, standing by his opposition to same-sex marriage and universal background checks for gun buyers. ‘I support marriage between one man and one woman,’Che said. ‘But I also think it's a question for the states. Some states have made decisions one way on gay marriage. Some states have made decisions the other way. And that's the great thing about our Constitution, is different states can make different decisions depending on the values of their citizens.’” [“The Tonight Show,” NBC, 11/9/13; VIDEO]

Ted Cruz Introduced the State Marriage Defense Act, Which Would Cede Definition of Marriage to States For Federal Purposes In Order to Reverse Gains Made By Striking Down of Defense of Marriage Act. According to the Washington Post: “Republican Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Mike Lee of Utah introduced the ‘State Marriage Defense Act’ on Wednesday…If passed, the bill would cede marriage definition to states for federal purposes, which would effectively reverse the gains same-sex couples made after the Defense of Marriage Act was overturned by the Supreme Court in the summer. In a statement released Thursday, Cruz said, ‘I support traditional marriage. Under President Obama, the federal government has tried to re-define marriage, and to undermine the constitutional authority of each state to define marriage consistent with the values of its citizens. The Obama Administration should not be trying to force gay marriage on all 50 states.’” [Washington Post, 2/13/14]

Cruz: “This Bill Will Safeguard The Ability Of States To Preserve Traditional Marriage For Its Residents.” In a press release, Cruz said, "I support traditional marriage. Under President Obama, the federal government has tried to re-define marriage, and to undermine the constitutional authority of each state to define marriage consistent with the values of its citizens,’ said Sen. Cruz. ‘The Obama Administration should not be trying to force gay marriage on all 50 states. We should respect the states, and the definition of marriage should be left to democratically elected legislatures, not dictated from Washington. This bill will safeguard the ability of states to preserve traditional marriage for its residents.” [Ted Cruz Press Release, 2/13/14]

Cruz Said His “Heart Weeps For the Damage to Traditional Marriage That Has Been Done” By Pro- Same-Sex Marriage Supreme Court Rulings. According to Mediaite: “Cruz appeared on Washington Week, a radio show hosted by the conservative Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, to explain his stance on the issue. ‘Our heart weeps for the damage to traditional marriage that has been done,’ Cruz said. He described the ‘best environment for a child’ruzone with both a mother and father — as being ‘under attack.’ We need to stand up I believe, and defend traditional marriage,’ he continued, ‘and especially do everything we can to prevent the federal government from forcing a different definition of marriage that is contrary to the views to the citizens of each state.’” [Mediaite, 2/14/14, AUDIO]

Cruz Accused “Advocacy Groups” of Using “Brute Power” to “Subvert Our Democratic System” And It’s “Heartbreaking.” Speaking to conservative radio host Janet Mefferd, Cruz said, “It is a consistent assault, and it’s an assault that really comes from the use of power to subvert our democratic system. It is from advocacy groups that don’t have the patience to actually win an argument with the people and make the case to the American people. If they want to advocate for their views, the First Amendment gives them the right to advocate. But they don’t want to wait for that. Instead, they want to use brute power to force the states to take down marriage laws that have been in place for centuries, and that’s inconsistent with the Constitution, and it’s not right, and it’s heartbreaking. Because you and I both know that the best environment for children to be raised is a loving home with a mother and father.” [Janet Mefferd Show, 2/17/14, AUDIO]

Cruz Called The Obama White House “The Most Hostile-To-Traditional-Marriage Administration This Country Has Ever Seen.” According to Politico: “Sen. Ted Cruz says President Barack Obama’s administration is “hostile” to traditional marriage, calling it the most hostile White House in history. The Texas Republican has been plugging his State Marriage Defense Act, a bill he introduced with Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) to require the federal government to respect state laws defining marriage between a man and a woman, on a tour of conservative radio. On Monday, Cruz told David Barton and Rick Green’s ‘Wallbuilders Live’Lthat there’s been a ‘sad trend’ in recent years of advocacy groups using courts to challenge traditional marriage laws. ‘But it’s also manifested from the federal government, with the Obama administration,” Cruz said. “This administration is the most hostile-to-traditional-marriage administration this country has ever seen.’” [Politico, 2/18/14; AUDIO]

Cruz: “The Administration Has Been Using The Authority Of The Federal Government To Try To Force Federal Recognition Of Marriages That State Law Prohibits.” According to Politico: “Cruz cited the administration’s decision to recognize same-sex marriages performed in Utah before a Supreme Court order halted gay marriage in the state once more. ‘The administration has been using the authority of the federal government to try to force states, to force federal recognition of marriages that state law prohibits,’ Cruz said. ‘The Obama administration came into Utah and said, ‘We’re not going to listen to what the U.S. Supreme Court said. We, the federal government, are going to recognize marriages in the state of Utah and Utah state law explicitly does not recognize as marriage’eand that was really, in my view, an abuse of power.’”d[Politico, 2/18/14; AUDIO]

2014: Cruz Dismissed A Federal Court Ruling That Texas’s Same-Sex Marriage Ban Is Unconstitutional As “A Troubling Display Of Judicial Activism.” In a press release, Cruz said, “Today’s ruling by a federal judge invalidating Texas’iban on same-sex marriage, is a troubling display of judicial activism. Our Constitution leaves it to the States to define marriage, and unelected judges should not be substituting their own policy views for the reasoned judgments of the citizens of Texas, who adopted our marriage law directly by referendum. The court's decision undermines the institution of marriage, and I applaud Attorney General Abbott’s decision to appeal this ruling to the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals." [Ted Cruz Press Release, 2/26/14]

Cruz: “There Are Some Who Say The Republican Party Should No Longer Stand For Traditional Marriage. I Don’t Agree With Them.” According to the Des Moines Register: “U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas believes Republicans must continue making the fight against abortion and same-sex marriage a campaign priority, a position that separates him from Rand Paul, potentially a main rival in the 2016 presidential sweepstakes. […] Cruz, in an interview with The Des Moines Register on Tuesday, said that Republicans ‘should continue to defend life and that we should continue to defend traditional marriage.’ […] On Tuesday, the anniversary of the national GOP's post-election report examining its failings in the 2012 election cycle, the Register asked Cruz whether Paul is right about how to be more welcoming. ‘Look, I am a conservative,’ Cruz answered. ‘I'm a fiscal conservative. I'm a social conservative. I think we've seen that in order for the Republican Party to succeed, we need to be a big tent. ... There are some who say the Republican Party should no longer stand for life. I don't agree with that. There are some who say the Republican Party should no longer stand for traditional marriage. I don't agree with them, either.’” [Des Moines Register, 3/19/14]

Cruz: “I Don’t Think The Federal Government Should Be Trying To Force The States To Adopt Gay Marriage In All 50 States. If The Citizens Of The State Make That Decision, They Have The Constitutional Authority To Do That.” According to BuzzFeed, at the New Hampshire Freedom Summit: “Cruz was sharper in his call to promote ‘a culture of life’ in the country — he avoided the word ‘abortion’ but on marriage, he didn’t go any further than Paul. ‘We have 50 states with different values, with different mores, and we would expect different states to adopt different laws. I don’t think the federal government should be trying to force the states to adopt gay marriage in all 50 states. If the citizens of the state make that decision, they have the Constitutional authority to do that.’” [BuzzFeed, 4/13/2014]

Cruz Said President Obama Was Putting Marriage “Under Assault In A Way That Is Pervasive And Unrelenting.” According to the Texas Observer, at an event for Conservative Republicans of Texas, Cruz said that marriage is ‘under assault in a way that is pervasive and unrelenting,’rand the assault was emanating, first, from President Obama. Three things needed to be done to beat him back, Cruz said. Prayer was one. Legislation to protect state laws on marriage was another. And the third was to win elections, including the presidential election in 2016.” [Texas Observer, 6/6/14]

Ted Cruz Said, “If Ever There Was An Issue On Which We Should Come To Our Knees to God About, It Is Preserving Marriage Of One Man And One Woman.” According to the New Yorker: Speaking at a Defense of Texas Marriage Amendment rally, Cruz said, “I’m going to encourage three very simple things. No. 1, I’m going to encourage each and every man and woman here to pray. If ever there was an issue on which we should come to our knees to God about, it is preserving marriage of one man and one woman. And this is an issue on which we need as many praying warriors as possible to turn back the tide…We need to stand and defend marriage, and we need to defend the prerogative of the citizens of Texas to determine what marriage means in the state of Texas.” [New Yorker, 6/30/14]

Ted Cruz Said Marriage is “Under Assault In a Way That Is Pervasive” Due to Proposition 8 Ruling. According to the New Yorker, speaking at a Defense of Texas Marriage Amendment rally: “Marriage is under assault…It is under assault in a way that is pervasive. We’re seeing marriage under assault in the courts, including, sadly, the Supreme Court of the United States. It struck down the California marriage laws. California had a referendum. They asked the voters of California, ‘Do you want marriage to be a traditional marriage between one man and one woman?’ And the voters of California—those crazy right-wing kooks—said, ‘Yes, now that you mention it, we like marriage to be between one man and one woman!’nWent to the U.S. Supreme Court, and the U.S. Supreme Court said, ‘You can’t say that,’ and struck it down. You want to know what judicial activism is? Judicial activism is judges imposing their policy preferences on the words of the Constitution.” [New Yorker, 6/30/14]

Cruz Bragged On His Campaign Website About Intervening in Divorce Proceedings To Prevent Couple in Legal Civil Union From Being Recognized in Texas.According to his campaign website, “Ted Cruz has worked hard in defense of traditional marriage, including his intervention in a case protecting Texas marriage laws…When a Beaumont state court granted a divorce to two homosexual men who had gotten a civil union in Vermont, Cruz, under the leadership of Attorney General Greg Abbott, intervened in defense of the marriage laws of the State of Texas, which successfully led to the court judgment being vacated.” [Ted Cruz.org, Accessed 7/11/14]

Cruz: “How Do We Win? We Defend The Values That Are American Values. We Stand For Life. We Stand For Marriage. We Stand For Israel.” According to the Associated Press: “Cruz, an evangelical favorite who overwhelmingly won last year's Values Voter presidential straw poll, drew applause for chastising those in the GOP who encourage Republican candidates to downplay ‘family values.’CrHow do we win? We defend the values that are American values,’ Cruz said. ‘We stand for life. We stand for marriage. We stand for Israel.’” [Associated Press, 9/27/14]

2014: Cruz Called A Supreme Court Ruling Allowing Lower Court Rulings In Favor Of Marriage Equality To Stand “Tragic And Indefensible.” “U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, today issued the following statement regarding the Supreme Court’s decision to reject requests from five States to review state laws that prohibit same-sex marriage. ‘The Supreme Court’s decision to let rulings by lower court judges stand that redefine marriage is both tragic and indefensible,’ said Sen. Cruz. ‘By refusing to rule if the States can define marriage, the Supreme Court is abdicating its duty to uphold the Constitution. The fact that the Supreme Court Justices, without providing any explanation whatsoever, have permitted lower courts to strike down so many state marriage laws is astonishing. This is judicial activism at its worst. The Constitution entrusts state legislatures, elected by the People, to define marriage consistent with the values and mores of their citizens. Unelected judges should not be imposing their policy preferences to subvert the considered judgments of democratically elected legislatures.’” [Ted Cruz Press Release, 10/6/14]

Cruz Pledged To Introduce A Constitutional Amendment To Prevent The Federal Government From Striking Down State Marriage Laws. In a press release, Cruz said, “Marriage is a question for the States. That is why I have introduced legislation, S. 2024, to protect the authority of state legislatures to define marriage. And that is why, when Congress returns to session, I will be introducing a constitutional amendment to prevent the federal government or the courts from attacking or striking down state marriage laws.’” [Ted Cruz Press Release, 10/6/14]

Cruz: “We Should Remain Faithful To Our Moral Heritage And Never Hesitate To Defend It.” In a press release, Cruz said, “Traditional marriage is an institution whose integrity and vitality are critical to the health of any society. We should remain faithful to our moral heritage and never hesitate to defend it.’” [Ted Cruz Press Release, 10/6/14]

2014: Cruz Believes Marriage Is “A Question For The States” And Attacked Federal Judges For “Imposing Their Own Policy Preferences.” According to The Hill: “Cruz said that marriage is a ‘question for the states’Cbecause of the country's federalist system. ‘This is something we’ve seen over and over again, which is the federal government and federal courts deciding they don’t trust the people,’ Cruz said. ‘They look down on the people, they don’t trust us to make judgments about our own lives, so the federal government and federal courts are going to step in and impose their own policy preferences.’”[The Hill, 10/30/14; VIDEO]

Cruz Said Marriage Is “Not A Question For A Bunch Of Unelected Federal Judges Who May Disagree With The Democratic Views Of The People Who Live In The United States Of America.” According to CNN, “The Texas conservative firebrand has called for an amendment to the Constitution that would prohibit the federal government from telling the states how to handle marriage rights. ‘The Constitution makes clear marriage is a question for the states,’ he said in a speech this month. ‘It's not a question for a bunch of unelected federal judges who may disagree with the democratic views of the people who live in the United States of America.’” [CNN,1/25/2015]

Cruz Said “If The Courts Were Following The Constitution, We Shouldn’t Need A New Amendment, But They Are…Making It Up Right Now And It’s A Real Danger To Our Liberty.” Salon reported that “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told an Iowa radio host Monday that liberty is imperiled unless Congress passes his amendment allowing states to deny gay couples the right to marry. ‘If the citizens of the state of Iowa or the citizens of the state of Texas want to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman … the states have the constitutional authority to do so and the federal government and unelected judges cannot set aside the democratically elected legislature’s reasonable decisions to enact and protect traditional marriage,’ Cruz told radio host Jan Mickelson. The likely 2016 presidential candidate added, ‘If the courts were following the Constitution, we shouldn’t need a new amendment, but they are, as you put it quite rightly, making it up right now and it’s a real danger to our liberty.’” [Salon,3/10/2015; Jan Mickelson, 3/9/2015; AUDIO]

Cruz Said LGBT Activists Had “Partisan Desire To Mandate Gay Marriage Everywhere In This Country.” The Dallas Morning News reported that “In the hour-long appearance at Morningside College in Sioux City, in Iowa’s conservative northwest corner, Cruz kept a tight focus on social issues even as he presented himself as a candidate who can appeal to many facets of the GOP. ‘Religious liberty is not some fringe view. It is the basis of this country,’ he said. He blamed gay rights activists and Democrats for the recent uproar over an Indiana law that would protect businesses who refuse to provide certain services on religious grounds. ‘Because of their partisan desire to mandate gay marriage everywhere in this country, they also want to persecute anyone who has a good faith religious belief that marriage is a holy sacrament, the union of one man and one woman and ordained as a covenant by God,’ he said.” [Dallas Morning News, 4/1/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said He Was Concerned About Supreme Court Decision In June, And If Court Rules In Favor Of Equality “It Will Be Lawlessness, It Will Be Fundamentally Illegitimate.” The Dallas Morning News reported that at an event at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, “‘Every one of us is concerned about the Supreme Court’s gay marriage decision likely coming in June,’ [Cruz] said. ‘The first thing and I think the most important thing every one of us can do, is pray. Lift up in prayer.’ He reiterated his vow to press for a constitutional amendment that would clarify the power of state legislatures to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. If the high court does legalize gay marriage nationwide, he added, he would prod Congress to strip federal courts of jurisdiction over the issue, a rarely invoked legislative tool. ‘If the court tries to do this it will be rampant judicial activism. It will be lawlessness, it will be fundamentally illegitimate,’ he said.” [Dallas Morning News, 4/1/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “The Media Tries To Twist The Question Of Marriage…Into A Battle Of Emotions And Personalities….That Has Nothing To Do With The Operative Legal Question.” In an interview with Hugh Hewitt discussing whether or not to attend a same-sex wedding, Cruz said, “You know, at the end of the day, what the media tries to twist the question of marriage into is they try to twist it into a battle of emotions and personalities. And they try to make it say, so for example, you know, they routinely say well, gosh, any conservative must hate people who are gay. And as you know, that has nothing to do with the operative legal question. And listen, I’m a Christian, and the Scripture commands us to love everyone, and to love everyone, and all of us are sinners. But the legal question, I’m a Constitutionalist. And under the Constitution, from the beginning of this country, marriage has been a question for the states.” [Hugh Hewitt, 4/16/2015; AUDIO]

Cruz, Asked If He Would Attend A Same-Sex Wedding Said “I Haven’t Faced That Circumstance” But That “Scripture Commands Us To Love Everyone…And All Of Us Are Sinners.” Hugh Hewitt asked Ted Cruz, “If you had a loved one or a friend getting married in a same sex wedding, would you attend it?” Cruz responded, “Well, I will tell you, I haven’t faced that circumstance. I have not had a loved one go to a, have a gay wedding. You know, at the end of the day, what the media tries to twist the question of marriage into is they try to twist it into a battle of emotions and personalities…. And listen, I’m a Christian, and the Scripture commands us to love everyone, and to love everyone, and all of us are sinners.” [Hugh Hewitt, 4/16/2015; AUDIO]

Cruz Said Whether Or Not To Attend A Same-Sex Wedding Is A “Gotcha Game” To “Caricature Republicans To Make Them Look Stupid Or Evil….We Need To Focus On What Matters.” Hugh Hewitt asked Ted Cruz: “What matters more – knowing if a candidate for the presidency will attend a gay wedding, or whether he or she will destroy the Islamic State before it throws hundreds, if not thousands, of more gay men to their deaths from towers? What matters more knowing?” Cruz responded: “There’s no doubt the latter does. But you know, that’s part of the gotcha game that the mainstream media plays, where they come after Republicans on every front, and it’s designed to caricature Republicans to make them look stupid or evil or crazy or extreme. And it’s because, sadly, most media players are not actual objective journalists. They are active partisan players. Right now, the mainstream media are the praetorian guard protecting the Obama presidency, and there is no group on this planet more ready for Hillary than the mainstream media. And it’s the reality of we need to focus on what matters.” [Hugh Hewitt, 4/16/2015; AUDIO]

Cruz Called Opposition To Same-Sex Marriage A “Fundamental Value” That He Would Not Change. Pushing back against a New York Times article that he had held a fundraiser in the home of two LGBT businessman which may have indicated a softening in his opposition to marriage equality, Cruz responded ‘The Texas senator said he told the crowd that he opposed same-sex marriage. The Times reported that he did not mention that belief, only noting that he believes marriage is a state issue. Cruz said the fact that he showed up in the first place to the small Manhattan gathering, which was focused primarily on foreign policy, showed that he was a ‘big tent Republican’ rather than a "panderer.’ ‘We're not always going to agree on everything, and I'm not going to change my fundamental values,’ he said in the statement. [CNN,4/23/2015]

Cruz Said Court Ruling Legalizing Same-Sex Marriage Nationwide Would Be “Fundamentally Illegitimate.” Bloomberg reported that “In his first trip to Iowa as a presidential candidate earlier this month, Cruz stayed laser focused on social issues, including a potential court ruling to legalize gay marriage nationwide that he said would be ‘fundamentally illegitimate.’” [Bloomberg, 4/24/2015]

Cruz Proposed Constitutional Amendment Protecting States That Bar Same-Sex Marriage In Addition To A Second Bill Barring The Courts From Weighing In On Legality Of Bans. According to Bloomberg, “Days before the U.S. Supreme Court hears arguments on same-sex marriage, Senator Ted Cruz has filed two bills to protect states that bar gay couples from marrying. Cruz's legislation would establish a constitutional amendment shielding states that define marriage as between one woman and one man from legal action, according to bill language obtained by Bloomberg News. A second bill would bar federal courts from further weighing in on the marriage issue until such an amendment is adopted.” [Bloomberg, 4/24/2015]

Cruz Said Liberals Were Obsessed With “Mandatory Gay Marriage In All 50 States” And Touted Support For Bill Stripping Court Jurisdiction Of Same-Sex Marriage Litigation. At Iowa’s Faith and Freedom Coalition In Waukee, IA, Politico reported that, “Cruz said he is concerned that women like the owner of an Indiana pizzeria will suffer because they oppose gay marriage. ‘The Scripture commands us to love everyone, and that ought to be a standard that applies across the board,’ he said. During his speech to the group, Cruz said liberals are obsessed with ‘mandatory gay marriage in all 50 states.’ Like King, he asked the audience to join him in prayer on the day of the oral arguments. He told the story of an Iowa couple who stopped putting on weddings after a court ordered them to perform services for gays. He touted his support for the constitutional amendment that would let states choose, and he said he has introduced a bill similar to King’s that strips the federal courts of any jurisdiction over gay marriage-related litigation.” [Politico, 4/26/2015]

Cruz Said Between Now And Supreme Court Arguments On Marriage Equality Conservatives Should “Fall To Our Knees And Pray.” According to Fox News Latino, “Sen. Ted Cruz and other GOP declared and prospective 2016 candidates wooed evangelical Christians in Iowa with remarks that emphasized religious freedom and opposition to gay marriage. The Texas senator noted that the Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in four states’ same-sex marriage cases this week and said that between now and then, conservatives must ‘fall to our knees and pray.’ ‘We need leaders who will stand unapologetically in defense of marriage and life,” Cruz said in his remarks that drew a huge applause.” [Fox News Latino, 4/26/2015]

Cruz Wrote Letter With Then-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott In Support Of Defense Of Marriage Act. Bloomberg reported that “Cruz highlights two instances in which he worked as solicitor general to protect traditional marriage, including a letter to Congress with then-Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in support of the Defense of Marriage Act, a U.S. law that defined marriage as a heterosexual union.” [Bloomberg, 4/29/2015]

Cruz Said Ruling In Favor Of Marriage Equality Was “Naked And Lawless Judicial Activism” And Warned Of “Mandatory Gay Marriage In All 50 States.” At Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to the Majority, Bloomberg reported that “Senator Ted Cruz of Texas accused Democrats of pushing “mandatory gay marriage in all 50 states,” and warned that a judicial victory for gay-marriage advocates could lead to government persecution of Christian churches and schools. He asked the crowd to pray that the justices “not engage in an act of naked and lawless judicial activism, tearing down the marriage laws adopted pursuant to the Constitution.” [Bloomberg, 6/19/2015; Faith and Freedom Coalition, Road to the Majority, 6/18/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Calls Out Supreme Court’s Judicial Activism. According to the National Journal: “In first comments, Cruz calls the decision bald ‘judicial activism’ by ‘five unelected judges.’ ‘It has nothing to do with the constitution.’” [National Journal, 6/26/2015]

Cruz Called Supreme Court Marriage Equality Decision “The Very Definition Of Lawlessness.” Responding to the Supreme Court ruling granting marriage equality in Iowa, “Ted Cruz: ‘Here at home we saw a decision from the United States Supreme Court that is the very definition of lawlessness.’” [Twitter.com, @teddschleifer,6/26/2015]

Cruz Said Supreme Court Decision On Marriage Equality “Bald Judicial Activism” By “Five Unelected Judges.” According to Twitter, “In first comments, Cruz calls the decision bald ‘judicial activism’ by ‘five unelected judges.’ ‘It has nothing to do with the constitution.’”[Twitter.com, @teddschleifer, 6/26/2015]

Ted Cruz, former Supreme Court attorney, on gay marriage: "The court has thrown its very legitimacy into question.’” According to twitter, “Ted Cruz, former Supreme Court attorney, on gay marriage: ‘The court has thrown its very legitimacy into question.’” [Twitter.com, @teddschleifer, 6/26/2015]

Cruz Said Supreme Court Ruling For Equality “Will Renew The Press For An Article Five Convention.” According to Twitter, “Ted Cruz on gay marriage: ‘The decision this morning I think will renew the press for an Article Five convention.’” [Twitter.com, @teddschleifer, 6/26/2015]

Cruz Said County Clerks Should “Absolutely” Be Able To Opt Out Of Same-Sex Marriage Licenses If They Have A Religious Objection. According to the Texas Tribune, “U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Saturday said county clerks in Texas should "absolutely" be able to opt out of issuing same-sex marriage licenses if they have religious objections. ‘Ours is a country that was built by men and women fleeing religious oppression,’ Cruz said in an interview with The Texas Tribune, ‘and you look at the foundation of this country — it was to seek out a new land where anyone of us could worship the Lord God Almighty with all of our hearts, minds and souls, without government getting in the way.’” [Texas Tribune, 6/27/2015]

Cruz Said “There Is This Liberal Intolerance And Fascism That Seeks To Force Bible-Believing Christians To Violate Their Faith.” The day following the Supreme Court ruling striking down all same-sex marriage bans, “‘We should respect diversity and tolerance,’ Cruz added. ‘There is this liberal intolerance and fascism that seeks to force Bible-believing Christians to violate their faith, and I think it makes no sense.’” [Texas Tribune, 6/27/2015]

Cruz Said Supreme Court Rewrote Federal Law And The Constitution In Marriage Equality Decision And Short-Circuited The Constitution. In an interview with NPR, Cruz said, “Oh, we remain the same great country we always have been, but the Supreme Court decisions of last week, two in a row, did enormous damage to this country. It is not healthy for our democracy when judges on our Supreme Court are violating their judicial oath. And in both the Obamacare decision and the marriage decision, the justices decided that they wanted to rewrite federal law and rewrite the Constitution. That's not the way our Constitution operates and it is a sad moment for the court when you have judges seizing authority that does not belong to them. The proper way to make policy decisions under our Constitution in America is for the people to do so through the democratic process. And last week, the justices short-circuited that.” [NPR News, 6/28/2015; AUDIO]

Cruz Called For Constitutional Amendment Subjecting Supreme Court Justices To Judicial Retention Elections. In an interview with NPR, Cruz said, “This week in response to both of these decisions, I have called for another constitutional amendment - this one that would make members of the Supreme Court subject to periodic judicial retention elections. As a very real check, 20 states have retention elections they've put in place, if judges overstep their bounds, violate the constitution, then the people have a check to remove them from office. I've called for that change. That is very much front and center something I intend to campaign on. And marriage and religious liberty are going to be integral, I believe, to motivating the American people to come out and vote for what's ultimately restoring our constitutional system.” [NPR News, 6/28/2015; AUDIO]

Cruz Said He Would Campaign “Front And Center” On His Various Efforts To Change Marriage Equality Ruling Through Constitutional Amendments. In an interview with NPR, Cruz said, “And with respect to marriage, you know, it's been stunning. Republican presidential candidate after Republican presidential candidate have put out statements that have said this is the law of the land; we must accept it and move on. Those are word for word the talking points of Barack Obama.…..And so what I've said, number one, I've introduced a constitutional amendment to restore the authority of the states to define marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Number two, I've introduced legislation in the United States Congress to strip the federal courts of jurisdiction for attacks on marriage. The Constitution explicitly gives Congress the authority to strip jurisdiction as a check and balance against judicial overreach.But number three, this week in response to both of these decisions, I have called for another constitutional amendment, this one that would make members of the Supreme Court subject to periodic judicial retention elections as a very real check….. I've called for that change. That is very much front and center, something I intend to campaign on. And marriage and religious liberty are going to be integral, I believe, to motivating the American people to come out and vote for what's ultimately restoring our constitutional system.” [NPR News, 6/28/2015; AUDIO]

Cruz: “No Religious Backing” For Denying Interracial Couples Marriage Licenses, Unlike Same-Sex Couples. According to Today News: “Over the weekend, Cruz said he would support Texas state clerks who refused to issue marriage licenses to gay couples because of religious objections. Asked if that would be the same as refusing to issue a marriage license to an interracial couple, Cruz disagreed. ‘There's no religious backing for that.’” [Today, 6/29/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said He Hoped Marriage Decision Would Serve “As A Spark To Start A Fire That Becomes A Raging Inferno” Of Defending Christian Values, And That Some Republicans Publicly Were Critical Of Obergefell But Privately Were “Popping Champagne And Celebrating.” In remarked at Rock Springs College, Cruz said: “[The marriage decision] had a number of Republicans in Washington publicly issuing critical statements and privately going in the backroom popping champagne and celebrating. The sad truth is they’re career politicians in both parties who are happy with the marriage decision because they do not intend to stand for religious liberty. Well, I have spent two decades of my life fighting to defend religious liberty and I give you my word I will always, always, always stand and defend the values that have built America into this great nation that we are.” [Red Kudzu, Rock Springs Church, Milner, GA, 7/4/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said Justice Kennedy Should Resign Due To Marriage Ruling And “If Supreme Court Justices Are Going To Behave Like Politicians And Make Law Instead Of Following The Constitution, They Should Be Subject To Democratic Accountability.” Cruz, who ranks third in the Washington Examiner's most recent GOP presidential power rankings, said on the ‘Steve Deace Show’ that Kennedy's opinion in the Obergefell v. Hodges decision, which sanctioned gay marriages nationwide, showed the justice's arrogance, hubris and contempt for the Democratic process. ‘Is there a point where these rulings, statements become so, not just unconstitutional, anti-constitutional, that resignation, impeachment is in line for these judges?’ Deace asked. ‘Of course Justice Kennedy should resign,’ Cruz said. ‘In the wake of the Supreme Court's lawless decisions on Obamacare and marriage, I publicly called for a constitutional amendment subjecting Supreme Court justices to periodic retention elections just like you have in the state of Iowa.’ ‘If Supreme Court justices are going to behave like politicians and try to make law instead of following the Constitution, they should subject to Democratic accountability,’ he added.” [Washington Examiner, 11/13/2015]

Cruz Said Justice Kennedy Showed Utter Contempt For People By Supporting Marriage Equality And “People Are Not Obliged To Obey Justices Who Are Defying The Constitution.” The Washington Examiner reported: “Cruz said he found Kennedy's comments ‘stunning.’ ‘His opinion that [marriage between one man and one woman] is no longer sufficiently enlightened is not law,’ Cruz said. ‘People are not obliged to obey justices who are defying the Constitution, defying the law, who are committing acts of judicial tyranny. ‘And these statements from Justice Kennedy show just the utter contempt he has for the rights of the people to pass the laws to govern ourselves,’ he said.” [Washington Examiner, 11/13/2015]

Cruz Vowed To Introduce Constitutional Amendments To “Strip The Federal Courts Of Jurisdiction Over Challenges To Marriage” Over “Lawless” Obergefell Ruling. Cruz participated in a conference call with Former nominee for Virginia Lt. Governor E.W. Jackson. Metro Weekly reported: “During the call, Cruz was asked by one activist whether he would reverse the Supreme Court’s ruling in favor of marriage equality. Cruz retorted by calling the ruling “one of the greatest threats to our democracy we had seen in modern times. ‘My response to this decision was that it was illegitimate, it was lawless, it was utterly contrary to the Constitution and that we should fight to defend marriage on every front,’ he continued. He vowed to introduce constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage and ‘strip the federal courts of jurisdiction over challenges to marriage,’ while promising that his Presidency would ‘not use the federal government to enforce this lawless decision that is a usurpation of the authority of we the people in this country.’” [Metro Weekly, 12/3/2015]

Cruz Said Polls Showing Majority Support For Same-Sex Marriage Were “Skewed.” Think Progress reported “‘The American people all overwhelming disagree with [same-sex marriage],” [Cruz] said, arguing that polls that show majority support for marriage equality — like this one from the Pew Research Center and this one from Gallup — are ‘skewed.’ ‘You can write a poll in a way that will get the results you want if they’re skewed,’ Cruz said. ‘But when people of states have actually gone to the ballot box, they’ve voted to protect traditonal marriage.’ Before the Supreme Court’s ruling, more than half of all states in the America had banned same-sex marriage, either through ballot initiatives or legislation.” [Think Progress, 1/27/2016]

Cruz Said Marriage Equality “Is Nonsense…It Is Evil. It is Wicked. It’s Sinful.” According to the Daily Beast, “‘When a fellow like me looks at the landscape and sees the depravity, the perversion—redefining marriage and telling us that marriage is not between a man and a woman? Come on, Iowa!’ he said. ‘It is nonsense,’ he continued. ‘It is evil. It’s wicked. It’s sinful.’ The crowd cheered. ‘They want us to swallow it, you say,’ he went on. ‘We have to run this bunch out of Washington, D.C. We have to rid the earth of them. Get ’em outta there.’” [The Daily Beast, 2/1/2016]

Cruz Said “Republican Presidential Candidates Are Repeating Barack Obama’s Talking Points On Gay Marriage….You Might As Well Light The White House Up In Rainbow Colors.” According to WCNC, at the 2016 Carolina Values Summit: “Cruz was blunt, aiming at fellow Republicans who he says have ‘gone soft.’ ‘There is something profoundly wrong when Republican presidential candidates are repeating Barack Obama’s talking points on gay marriage, saying ‘we surrender, we give up,’’ Cruz said. ‘You might as well light the White House up in rainbow colors.’” [WCNC, 2/11/2016]

Cruz Said Trump And Rubio Said “We Must Accept It, Surrender, And Move On” On Obergefell Decision And Accused Them Of Repeating Obama Talking Points. At a town hall in Florence, SC, Cruz said: “For those of us who care about marriage, we saw last year a lawless decision at the Supreme Court of the United States, five unelected judges reporting to tear down the marriage laws of all fifty states. Now I would know, when that decision came down, that was what Ronald Reagan would call a time for choosing, the line in the sand. A number of the other candidates, including my two leading opponents in this state, Donald Trump and Marco Rubio, both put out statements that said the Supreme Court's gay marriage decision is the settled law of the land. We must accept it, surrender, and move on. Now listen, those are word for word Barack Obama’s talking points on gay marriage. There is something profoundly wrong when Republican candidates for president are repeating Barack Obama’s talking points. Repeatedly I made a fundamentally different decision to stand on the other side of that line, to say that that decision was fundamentally illegitimate. It was unconstitutional. It was wrong, and it will not stand.” [Ted Cruz Town Hall, Florence, SC, 2/15/2016; YOUTUBE]

Significant Findings on Discrimination Protections for LGBT Americans

Voted against ENDA in the U.S. Senate

Opposed local non-discrimination ordinance in Texas

Cruz Opposed A Municipal Non-Discrimination Ordinance In San Antonio. According to the Texas Tribune: “A proposal to include sexual orientation and gender identity in San Antonio's non-discrimination policy has turned the city into a new gay rights battleground. […] U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz also weighed in on the issue earlier this month. ‘Any attempt to bar an individual from public service based on a personal religious conviction is contrary to the liberties guaranteed us under our constitution and should be emphatically opposed,’ Cruz said in a statement. ‘It is encouraging to see so many Texans standing up to defend their religious freedoms in light of the misguided proposal put forth by the local city council.’” [Texas Tribune, 8/26/13]

Cruz Voted Against ENDA, Citing a Lack of Protections for Religious Liberty and That It Would Result in Abusive Lawsuits. Cruz voted against the Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA) that would explicitly prohibit workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity. “A one-size-fits-all federal statutory right, which would invite abusive lawsuits and which contains insufficient protections for religious liberties, is the wrong approach,” [Cruz Spokesman Sean] Rushton said. [Dallas Morning News, 11/5/13]

Cruz Opposed ENDA: “The Decision Whether Or Not To Make Sexual Orientation A Protected Legal Class Is A Choice Best Left To The States.” In a press release, Cruz said, "The decision whether or not to make sexual orientation a protected legal class is a choice best left to the states, and elected legislatures in all 50 states have reached different conclusions on that question. A one-size-fits-all federal statutory right, which would invite abusive lawsuits and which contains insufficient protections for religious liberties, is the wrong approach.” [Ted Cruz Press Release, 11/7/13]

Cruz Was An Original Cosponsor Of S.1598, The First Amendment Defense Act. ’” [S. 1598 (114th), 12/12/13]

When Asked If A Christian Cake Maker Should Have to Make a Wedding Cake For A Same-Sex Wedding, Cruz Said “I Don’t Think The Law Should Be Forcing Americans to Violate Their Religious Faith.” Asked at the Houston Baptist University Forum on Faith in the Public Square what he thinks Christians should be required to do if asked to provide services such as baking a cake for a same sex wedding that they disagree with, Cruz said, “‘Look, I work in the U.S. Congress. But at the same time, I don’t think the law should be forcing Americans to violate their religious faith.’ Cruz offered a pending legal case [involving nuns providing contraception to employees] as an example.… ‘Now, these Catholic nuns don’t want to [provide contraception], and the idea that the federal government would be going after Catholic nuns, trying to force them to violate their religious faith, really demonstrates how utterly unmoored we have come from the constitutional liberties this country was founded on,’ Cruz said.” [Raw Story, 5/7/14; VIDEO]

Cruz Slammed City Of Houston Lawyers For Attempting To Subpoena Sermons Related To Attempts To Repeal The City’s Anti-Discrimination Law. “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) slammed Houston, Texas' openly gay Mayor Annise Parker after attorneys working for the city sent subpoenas to several pastors in the city, asking them to turn over ‘all speeches, presentations, or sermons related to HERO [the Houston Equal Rights Ordinance], the Petition, Mayor Annise Parker, homosexuality, or gender identity prepared by, delivered by, revised by, or approved by you or in your possession.’ In a statement Wednesday, Cruz said the move was another step in a government "assault against religious liberty" and said he stood with the pastors, who were all vocal opponents of HERO. ‘The City of Houston’s subpoenas demanding that pastors provide the government with copies of their sermons is both shocking and shameful,’ Cruz said.” [Huffington Post, 10/16/14]

Cruz: “These Subpoenas Are A Grotesque Abuse Of Power And The Officials Who Approved Them Should Be Held Accountable By The People.” “’This is wrong. It's unbefitting of Texans, and it's un-American. The government has no business asking pastors to turn over their sermons. These subpoenas are a grotesque abuse of power, and the officials who approved them should be held accountable by the people. The mayor should be ashamed. And we should all be proud to stand up and defend the pastors who are resisting these blatant attempts to suppress their First Amendment rights,’ Cruz added.” [Huffington Post, 10/16/14]

Cruz Said There Was A “Real Risk” Of Pastors Being Hauled Off To Jail For Hate Crimes For Their Marriage Beliefs And That Despite Media Ridicule “That Is The Usual Response.” On the Brody File, Cruz was asked: “One of the next battles in this culture war could indeed be right there in the pulpit. Are we going through a potential period or could we very well soon go through a period where pastors are hauled off to jail for a hate crime because they are speaking for traditional marriage?” Senator Ted Cruz: “I think that is a real risk and you and I have both pointed to that risk in the past and some in the media ridicule that threat saying there is no danger of the government coming after pastors. That is the usual response.” [CBN, The Brody File, 10/17/2014; VIDEO]

Cruz Said He Hoped Houston Ordinance Would Be A “Wake Up Call” To Christians To Fight For Religious Liberty “And The Pastors Of This Country Will Not Be Muzzled.” On the Brody File, Ted Cruz said: “The specter of government trying to determine if what pastors preach from the pulpit meets with the policy views or political correctness of the governing authorities, that prospect is real and happening now…..When you subpoena one pastor, you subpoena every pastor. If government has the power to force the pulpit to knuckle under, if government has the power to insist that pastors hand over their sermons for government approval then we’ve lost the very first freedom that begins our bill of rights. We’ve lost the freedom that this country was built on. That’s what this fight is and I very much hope that this serves as a wake-up call to Christians, to people of faith, I hope it serves as a wake-up call to pastors to speak out and make abundantly clear that we will not give up our religious liberty. We will not go quietly into the night but we will stand and fight for principles that are right and true and will speak the truth and the pastors of this country will not be muzzled.” [CBN, The Brody File, 10/17/2014; VIDEO]

Cruz Said, “Instead Of A Federal Government That Wages An Assault On Religious Liberty….Imagine A Federal Government That Works To Defend The Sanctity Of Life And To Uphold The Sacrament Of Marriage.” In Cruz’s announcement speech, Cruz said, “Instead of a federal government that wages an assault on our religious liberty, that goes after Hobby Lobby, that goes after the Little Sisters of the Poor, that goes after Liberty University, imagine a federal government that stands for the First Amendment rights of every American. Instead of a federal government that works to undermine our values, imagine a federal government that works to defend the sanctity of human life and to uphold the sacrament of marriage.” [Liberty University, Ted Cruz Presidential Announcement, 3/23/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said Controversy Over Indiana RFRA Was A “Concerted Assault On The First Amendment” And Said He Was “Proud To Stand With Mike” Pence Defending The Law. “I want to commend Governor Mike Pence for his support of religious freedom, especially in the face of fierce opposition. There was a time, not too long ago, when defending religious liberty enjoyed strong bipartisan support. Alas, today we are facing a concerted assault on the First Amendment, on the right of every American to seek out and worship God according to the dictates of his or her conscience. Governor Pence is holding the line to protect religious liberty in the Hoosier State. Indiana is giving voice to millions of courageous conservatives across this country who are deeply concerned about the ongoing attacks upon our personal liberties. I’m proud to stand with Mike, and I urge Americans to do the same.” [TedCruz.org, Press Statement, 3/30/15]

Cruz Said Indiana “Bravely Stood Up And Passed A Law Defending Religious Liberty.” The Dallas Morning News reported that in an appearance at Morningside College in Sioux City, Iowa, “Cruz lauded Indiana for ‘doing the right thing…. We’re seeing in the news right now a lot of noise because the state of Indiana bravely stood up and passed a law defending religious liberty.’” [Dallas Morning News, 4/1/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “Religious Liberty Is Not Some Fringe View. It Is The Basis Of This Country” And Accused LGBT Activists Of Wanting To “Persecute” Those Who Disagrees With Marriage Equality.” The Dallas Morning News reported that “In the hour-long appearance at Morningside College in Sioux City, in Iowa’s conservative northwest corner, Cruz kept a tight focus on social issues even as he presented himself as a candidate who can appeal to many facets of the GOP. ‘Religious liberty is not some fringe view. It is the basis of this country,’ he said. He blamed gay rights activists and Democrats for the recent uproar over an Indiana law that would protect businesses who refuse to provide certain services on religious grounds. ‘Because of their partisan desire to mandate gay marriage everywhere in this country, they also want to persecute anyone who has a good faith religious belief that marriage is a holy sacrament, the union of one man and one woman and ordained as a covenant by God,’ he said.” [Dallas Morning News, 4/1/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “The Fortune 500 Is Running Shamelessly To Endorse The Radical Gay Marriage Agenda Over Religious Liberty…Any Person Of Faith Is Subject To Persecution If They Dare Disagree” On Marriage. According to Bloomberg, Cruz said, “The Fortune 500 is running shamelessly to endorse the radical gay marriage agenda over religious liberty, to say: 'We will persecute a Christian pastor, a Catholic priest, a Jewish rabbi,'’ Cruz told a Wednesday morning audience of more than 300 people in Sioux City. ‘Any person of faith is subject to persecution if they dare disagree, if their religious faith parts way from their political commitment to gay marriage. The Fortune 500 has cast their lot in with that, but sadly, a whole lot of Republican politicians are terrified of this issue.’” [Bloomberg, 4/3/2015]

Cruz Said There Was A “Jihad That Is Being Waged Right Now In Indiana And Arkansas” Against Those “Who Respect The Bible Teaching That Marriage Is The Union Of One Man And One Woman.” According to Right Wing Watch, “Cruz, speaking at a panel moderated by conservative talk show host Steve Deace….told the crowd of homeschooling activists that they should fear ‘the jihad that is being waged right now in Indiana and Arkansas, going after people of faith who respect the biblical teaching that marriage is the union of one man and one woman.’ By condemning this gay ‘jihad,’ Cruz said, he could ‘bring people together’ to defend religious freedom.” [Right Wing Watch 4/10/2015]; Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators’ Homeschool Day, 4/9/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Was An Original Cosponsor Of S.1598, The First Amendment Defense Act. [S. 1598 (114th), 6/17/2015]

Cruz Said “2016 Will Be The Religious Liberty Election.” At Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to the Majority, Cruz said, “But I want to talk about an issue that I think that will be front and center in 2016 and that is religious liberty. I believe 2016 will be the religious liberty election. Religious liberty has never been more threatened in America than right now today.” [Faith and Freedom Coalition, Road to the Majority,, 6/18/2015, VIDEO]

Cruz Said “Our Hearts Broke A Couple Months Ago In Indiana And Arkansas.” At Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to the Majority, Bloomberg reported that “Cruz also cited this year’s controversies over two states’ religious-freedom bills, where Republican governors and state lawmakers backtracked following protests over the prospect that the laws would shield anti-gay discrimination. ‘Every one of us, our hearts broke a couple months ago in Indiana and Arkansas,’ the Texan said before adding that ‘more than a few Republicans running for president in 2016 chose that moment somehow to go and rearrange their sock drawer.’ The crowd ate it up.” [Bloomberg,6/19/2015; Faith and Freedom Coalition, Road to the Majority, 6/18/2015]

Cruz Said “2016 Will Be The Religious Liberty Election.” At Faith and Freedom Coalition’s Road to the Majority, Cruz said, “But I want to talk about an issue that I think that will be front and center in 2016 and that is religious liberty. I believe 2016 will be the religious liberty election. Religious liberty has never been more threatened in America than right now today.” [Faith and Freedom Coalition, Road to the Majority, 6/18/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said County Clerks Should “Absolutely” Be Able To Opt Out Of Same-Sex Marriage Licenses If They Have A Religious Objection. According to the Texas Tribune, “U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz on Saturday said county clerks in Texas should "absolutely" be able to opt out of issuing same-sex marriage licenses if they have religious objections. ‘Ours is a country that was built by men and women fleeing religious oppression,’ Cruz said in an interview with The Texas Tribune, ‘and you look at the foundation of this country — it was to seek out a new land where anyone of us could worship the Lord God Almighty with all of our hearts, minds and souls, without government getting in the way.’”[Texas Tribune, 6/27/2015, VIDEO]

Cruz Releases Campaign Video Championing Religious Freedom Featuring Couple Who Refused To Perform Same-Sex Marriage. According to MSNBC: “Texas Sen. Ted Cruz is placing the debate over ‘religious freedom’ front and center of his Republican presidential campaign with the release of a new campaign video Tuesday highlighting the ‘incredible journey’ of an Iowa couple who refused to host a gay marriage in their church.” [MSNBC, 7/21/2015; VIDEO]

Asked About LGBT People Being Fired For Who They Are, Cruz Responded By Saying Christians Were The Ones Being Persecuted And That Was “Fundamentally Inconsistent With Who We Are.” Asked at the Iowa State fair about LGBT people being fired for who they are, Cruz responded: “well what we’re saying right now is actually we’re saying Bible-believing Christians are being persecuted. So for example one of the couples…” Page responded: “Yeah, for discriminating against LGBT people” Cruz continued: “No, for living according to their faith. So for example […] So, one of the couples tonight whose going to be featured in the [inaudible]. They’re from Grimes, Iowa. They’re a wonderful couple. They own a historic Lutheran church. Many years they hosted weddings in their church. A couple years ago two men came and wanted to have a same-sex wedding ceremony in their church. Now the Odgaards are devout Mennonites. And so they respectfully explained that it would be contrary to their faith for them to celebrate in their church a wedding that was contrary to their religious beliefs. The Odgaards were promptly sued. They were dragged in protracted litigation. They ended up spending $5,000 to settle the case and they made a promise to never again to host another wedding in their church. Driven out of business. This month, they laid off their employees. That is fundamentally inconsistent with who we are.” [Iowa State Fair, ABC News, 8/21/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said A Christian Florist Should Be Allowed To Refuse To Provide Flowers For A Same-Sex Wedding, Just Like A Gay Florist Should Be Allowed To Refuse Flowers To An Evangelical Christian Couple. In a discussion at the Iowa State Fair with Ellen Page, Cruz said: “Let’s take the other side, no one has the right to force someone else to abandon their faith or their conscience. Imagine, hypothetically, you had a gay florist. And imagine that two evangelical Christians wanted to get married and the gay florist decided, you know what? I disagree with your faith. I don’t want to provide flowers.” Page responded: “I would say that’s—I would say they should provide the flowers. Just like gay people should be able to get married…” Cruz: “And I would say the gay florist has every right to say if I disagree with your faith and don’t want to participate, you know what, there’s lots of other people you can buy flowers from. Just like, we don’t have the right to force a Jewish rabbi to conduct a Christian wedding ceremony. We don’t have the right to force a Muslim Imam to conduct a Jewish wedding ceremony. We are a country that respects pluralism and diversity and there is this liberal intolerance that says that anyone that dares follow a biblical teaching of marriage, that is the union of one man and one woman must be persecuted, must be fined, must be driven out of business.” [Iowa State Fair, ABC News, 8/21/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said AN LGBT Florist Should Not Be Forced To Provide Flowers To A Hypothetical Evangelical Christian Couple. In an interview with Newsmax, Cruz said: “Imagine if this were inverted. Imagine if there were a gay florist — now I know that’s hard to imagine, a gay florist — but just go with the hypo[thetical] for a second. Imagine if two evangelical Christians came to a gay florist and they wanted to get married, and the florist said, “You know what? I disagree with your faith. I have problems with your faith.” You have no entitlement to force that florist to provide flowers at the Christians’ wedding. We are a pluralistic nation that tolerates diversity.” [Think Progress, 8/21/2015; Newsmax, 8/24/2015, VIDEO]

Cruz Said Christians Were Being Persecuted By “Liberal Facism” And Activists Who Want To Fine Christians For Their Beliefs When Asked How He Could Convince Activists He Didn’t Hate Them. Cruz, in an interview with Newsmax, said “‘What we're seeing now,’ he said, ‘is this liberal fascism and intolerance where their object is to persecute, to punish, to fine any Bible-following Christian or believer that believes in the biblical definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman. And that is profoundly inconsistent with who we are as Americans.’ Berliner then again attempted to get Cruz to explain how, while holding such a position, he could ever hope to convince gay activists that he doesn't hate them, and again Cruz wasn't interested in answering that question. ‘There are some activists who, frankly, manifest a hatred and intolerance for Christians, who are persecuting Christians,’ Cruz said. ‘That is unfortunate. As I said, I think we should love everybody.’” [Right Wing Watch, 8/25/2015; Newsmax, 8/24/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “We Should Make It Possible For Believers, Such As Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis In Kentucky, To Hold Government Jobs Without Infringing On Religious Liberty.” The Dallas Morning News reported: “But when it comes to the Kentucky county clerk who is defying a federal court order by refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, Cruz has struck a more measured tone than many of his rivals. In a Facebook post tonight, he condemned a ‘war on faith’ and said there needs to be a way to work around religious objections to federal and state law. ‘We should make it possible for believers, such as Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis in Kentucky, to hold government jobs without having to violate their religious beliefs,’ wrote Cruz. ‘We can work together to come up with alternative ways to ensure that government functions are accomplished without infringing on religious liberty.’ Other 2016 contenders have explicitly endorsed Davis’ actions.” [Dallas Morning News, 9/2/2015]

Cruz Said There Was A “War On Faith” And That We Needed To “Come Up With Alternative Ways To Ensure That Government Functions Are Accomplished Without Infringing On Religious Liberty.” In a facebook post, Cruz wrote: “Our nation was founded by men and women fleeing religious oppression. They sought out a new world where they could worship God Almighty with all their heart, mind, and soul. Sadly, we’ve seen a war on faith break out across our nation, and we must be vigilant to protect the free exercise of religion -- a value enshrined in our Constitution. We should make it possible for believers, such as Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis in Kentucky, to hold government jobs without having to violate their religious beliefs. We can work together to come up with alternative ways to ensure that government functions are accomplished without infringing on religious liberty.” [Facebook, Ted Cruz, 9/2/2015]

Cruz Spokesperson Said Cruz “Sticks By What He Said Before” That “The Federal Government And Court Should In No Way Be Able Compel People Of Faith To Violate Their Religious Beliefs.” MSNBC reported that “Sen. Ted Cruz has not weighed in on the Kentucky situation specifically, but spokeswoman Catherine Frazier said that ‘he sticks by what he said before’ on other instances where individuals refused to offer services to gay couples — ‘the federal government and court should in no way be able to compel people of faith to violate their religious beliefs.’ ‘These people have a right to defend their own First Amendment right to religious freedom. He stands with anyone of being put in a position that is being forced to violate their religious beliefs because of this marriage decision,’ she said.” [MSNBC, 9/2/2015]

Cruz Said Arrest Of Kentucky Clerk Was “Judicial Tyranny…This Is Not America. I Stand With Kim Davis. Unequivocally.” In a statement, Cruz said “Today, judicial lawlessness crossed into judicial tyranny. Today, for the first time ever, the government arrested a Christian woman for living according to her faith. This is wrong. This is not America. I stand with Kim Davis. Unequivocally. I stand with every American that the Obama Administration is trying to force to chose between honoring his or her faith or complying with a lawless court opinion….“I call upon every Believer, every Constitutionalist, every lover of liberty to stand with Kim Davis. Stop the persecution now.” [TedCruz.org, Statement on Arrest Of Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis, 9/3/2015]

Cruz Said “Those Who Are Persecuting Kim Davis Believe That Christians Should Not Serve In Public Office. That Is The Consequence Of Their Position.” In a statement, Cruz said: “Those who are persecuting Kim Davis believe that Christians should not serve in public office. That is the consequence of their position. Or, if Christians do serve in public office, they must disregard their religious faith–or be sent to jail. Kim Davis should not be in jail. We are a country founded on Judeo-Christian values, founded by those fleeing religious oppression and seeking a land where we could worship God and live according to our faith, without being imprisoned for doing so. I call upon every Believer, every Constitutionalist, every lover of liberty to stand with Kim Davis. Stop the persecution now.” [TedCruz.org, Statement on Arrest Of Kentucky Clerk Kim Davis, 9/3/2015]

Cruz Signed National Organization’s Marriage Pledge. According to NOM, Cruz was one of 4 candidates to sign their marriage pledge. NOM says “These are the candidates you can count on to support a constitutional amendment protecting marriage; work to overturn the illegitimate Obergefell ruling imposing gay 'marriage' on the nation; prevent the push of this illegitimate ruling throughout government including the public schools; work for the passage of the First Amendment Defense Act; and direct the Department of Justice to investigate attempts to harass marriage supporters.” [National Organization For Marriage, Marriage Pledge, Accessed 9/9/2015]

Cruz Said He Would “Absolutely, Yes” Push For Passage Of First Amendment Defense Act In His First 100 Days In Office. George asked Cruz if he would, in his first 100 days, push for the passage of the First Amendment Defense Act that would protect people's rights to believe and act on their belief that marriage is the union between a husband and wife. ‘Absolutely, yes,’ Cruz said. ‘As you know, I'm an original sponsor of that legislation. And when it comes to religious liberty, religious liberty has been a passion for me for decades, and it has been something that I have been fighting to defend for many, many years.’” [Christian Post, 12/6/2015; EWTN News, 11/25/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “2016 Is Going To Be A Religious Liberty Election” Which Was A “Lifetime Passion” For Him. Christian Post reported: “In the interview, part of a series on the views of presidential candidates, called ‘Candidate Conversations 2016,’ Robert P. George, professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, asked Cruz what he would do as President of the United States, to protect the rights of people of all faiths who believe in marriage as a union of a man and a woman. "This has been a life's passion fighting for it, and I'm convinced 2016 is going to be a religious liberty election," replied Texas senator Cruz in the 50-minute interview. "I've hosted now two religious liberty rallies, one in Iowa, one in South Carolina, they both had 2,000-3,000 people come out." [Christian Post, 12/6/2015; EWTN News, 11/25/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Called For Senate Not To Allow Obama “To Make One More Liberal Appointee” Because Court Was “One Justice Away From A Supreme Court That Would Undermine The Religious Liberty Of Millions Of Americans.” Cruz said: “But [Scalia’s death] underscores the stakes of this election. We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will strike down every restriction on abortion adopted by the states. We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that will reverse the Heller decision, one of Justice Scalia's seminal decisions that upheld the Second Amendment right to keep and to bear arms. We are one justice away from a Supreme Court that would undermine the religious liberty of millions of Americans -- and the stakes of this election, for this year, for the Senate, the Senate needs to stand strong and say, ‘We're not going to give up the U.S. Supreme Court for a generation by allowing Barack Obama to make one more liberal appointee.’ And then for the state of South Carolina, one of the most important judgments for the men and women of South Carolina to make is who on this stage has the background, the principle, the character, the judgment, and the strength of resolve to nominate and confirm principled constitutionalists to the court? That will be what I will do if I'm elected president.” [CBS Republican Debate, Greenville, SC, 2/13/2016; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “2016 Should Be A Referendum On The Supreme Court.” Discussing the Scalia vacancy, Cruz said: “And [Scalia’s] passing leaves a huge void on that court. And this court, this nomination, has the potential to dramatically shift the balance of power of the court, and so I believe we should have - we have an election coming up in November. I think 2016 should be a referendum on the Supreme Court…..And, I got to tell you, Anderson, I cannot wait to stand on that debate stage with Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders and take it to the American people. Their vision of the Supreme Court and the Constitution is a Supreme Court that mandates unlimited abortion on demand, that takes away our Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, that takes away our religious liberty. I don't think that's what the American people believe in. But, we ought to take it to the election, and if the Democrats want to nominate a liberal they need to win the election. I don't believe they're going to do it.” [CNN Town Hall, Greenville, SC, 2/17/2016; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “We Are One Liberal Justice Away From A Five-Justice Radical Leftists Majority That Would Undermine Our Religious Liberty.” At the Republican debate in Houston, Cruz said: “And with [Justice Scalia’s] passing, the court is now hanging in the balance. We are one liberal justice away from a five-justice radical leftist majority that would undermine our religious liberty; that would undermine the right to life; and that would fundamentally erase the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms from the Constitution…..I've spent my whole life fighting to defend the Bill of Rights and the Constitution. I can tell you, for voters that care about life or marriage or religious liberty or the Second Amendment, they're asking the question: Who do you know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, who do you know will nominate principled constitutionalists to the court? I give you my word, every justice I nominate will vigorously defend the Bill of Rights for my children and for yours.” [CNN Republican Debate, Houston, TX, 2/25/2016; VIDEO]

Cruz Promised To “Instruct Every Federal Agency That The Persecution Of Religious Liberty Ends Today.” At the Republican debate in Houston, Cruz said: “If I'm elected president, on the first day in office I will rescind every single illegal and unconstitutional executive action. I will instruct the Department of Justice to open an investigation into Planned Parenthood and prosecute any criminal violations. I will instruct every federal agency that the persecution of religious liberty ends today.” [CNN Republican Debate, Houston, TX, 2/25/2016; VIDEO]

Cruz Said He Was “Very Disappointed” In Georgia Governor’s Veto Of Religious Right To Discriminate Bill. The Washington Post reported: “Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz criticized Georgia Republican Gov. Nathan Deal on Monday for vetoing a controversial religious liberties bill that came under heavy criticism from opponents who argued that it would discriminate against gay and transgender individuals. ‘I thought that was very disappointing to see Governor Deal in Georgia side with leftist activists,’ Cruz told reporters outside a restaurant here where he met with voters ahead of Wisconsin's April 5 primary.” [Washington Post, 3/28/2016]

Significant Findings on President Obama’s LGBT Executive Orders

Cruz Said That Undoing All Of Obama’s Executive Orders Would “Absolutely” Be One Of The First Things He Would Do If Elected. According to Breitbart News, “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) tells Breitbart News that if he’s elected President, one of his first actions will be to undo all of President Barack Obama’s unconstitutional executive orders. ‘Absolutely,’ Cruz replied when asked if one of the first things he would do if elected would be to undo all of Obama’s unconstitutional executive orders in an exclusive interview with Breitbart News in Houston.” [Breitbart News, 4/1/2015]

Cruz Said “Every Illegal Executive Action That [Obama] Puts In Place Can Be Undone In An Instant By The Next President Through The Same Mechanism.” According to Breitbart News: “‘President Obama is fond of saying he has a pen and he has a phone,’ Cruz said. ‘Well, live by the pen and die by the pen. Every illegal executive action that he puts in place can be undone in an instant by the next president through the same mechanism. The proper avenue for creating law in this country is not unilateral decree. It is rather passing legislation through Congress that is signed into law by president pursuant to the dictates of the Constitution.’” [Breitbart News, 4/1/2015]

Ted Cruz Said The “Very First Thing I Intend To Do On The First Day Is Rescind Every Single Unconstitutional Or Illegal Executive Action From President Obama.” According to Breitbart News, Ted Cruz said, “The next 20 months are going to be very dangerous because President Obama, unfortunately, seems to have decided to disregard the United States Congress and disregard the American people and instead is trying to force through as much of his extreme agenda as possible via unilateral executive action—and I think we’re going to see that only accelerate through the end of 2016 with more and more unconstitutional executive orders, more regulatory abuse and more and more efforts to go to the United Nations and foreign war tribunals in an effort to end run Congress. In January 2017, we will have a new president and if I am elected president, the very first thing I intend to do on the first day is rescind every single unconstitutional or illegal executive action from President Obama.” [Breitbart News, 4/1/2015]

Cruz Said He Would “Rescind Every Illegal And Unconstitutional Executive Action Taken By Barack Obama” On First Day In Office. At the first Republican debate in Cleveland, Cruz said: “If I’m elected president, let me tell you about my first day in office. The first thing I intend to do is to rescind every illegal and unconstitutional executive action taken by Barack Obama.” [Fox News Republican Presidential Debate, Cleveland OH, 8/6/2015; VIDEO]

Significant Findings on Dangerous “Conversion Therapy”

Did not oppose Texas Republicans adding conversion therapy to platform

Cruz Did Not Oppose Proposal For The Texas GOP To Endorse “Ex-Gay” Therapy. “The Texas Republican Party would endorse psychological treatment that seeks to turn gay people straight under a new platform partly aimed at rebuking laws in California and New Jersey that ban so-called "reparative therapy" on minors. A push to include the new anti-gay language survived a key vote late Thursday in Fort Worth at the Texas Republican Convention where, across the street, tea party star U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz fired up attendees at a rally to defend marriage as between a man and a woman. […] Cruz ducked a question about his state party's platform on gays, saying he would leave it up to the ‘grass roots at the convention.’” [Associated Press, 6/6/14]

Significant Findings on Rhetoric and Intolerance

Thinks “homosexual conduct” is a choice

Attacked fellow Republican for marching in gay pride parades

Bragged about intervening to prevent recognition of civil union

Cruz Attacked A Republican Rival In His 2012 Primary For Marching In A Pride Parade. According to the Dallas Morning News: “Republican Senate hopeful Ted Cruz assailed rival Republican Tom Leppert over the weekend as hypocritical for suggesting that as Dallas mayor he held firm against the ‘agenda’ of gay rights activists and advocates for undocumented immigrants. […] ‘You know, just a moment ago Tom Leppert told you how he used the office of mayor to stand against the gay rights agenda,’ said Cruz, a former top aide to Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott. ‘Somehow, he forgot to mention that he marched twice in the gay pride parade.’” [Dallas Morning News, 1/31/12; VIDEO]

Cruz: “When A Mayor Of A City Chooses Twice To March In A Parade Celebrating Pride, That’s A Statement – And It’s Not A Statement I Agree With.” According to KERA: “Cruz: What I am saying is that when a mayor of a city chooses twice to march in a parade celebrating gay pride, that’s a statement - and it’s not a statement I agree with.” [KERA, 2/22/12; VIDEO]

Cruz: “I Believe That Engaging In Homosexual Conduct Is A Choice.” According to the San Antonio Express-News: “On to Cruz, the former state solicitor general who prides himself on tough talk but ignored the question I e-mailed in favor of the one he wanted to answer: ‘I believe that engaging in homosexual conduct is a choice, and I do not believe that unelected judges should force States to adopt gay marriage, against the wishes of the people. Marriage is a fundamental building block of our society, and I have a proven record of standing and fighting to protect traditional marriage between one man and one woman.’” [San Antonio Express-News, 3/4/12]

Cruz Attacked His Primary Opponent For Marching in Pride Parades. According to Mother Jones: “During the primary, Cruz used his opposition to gay rights as a wedge against lesser opponents like former Dallas mayor Tom Leppert, noting that his opponent had marched in not one but two pride parades. ‘When the mayor of a city chooses twice to march in a parade celebrating gay pride, that's a statement. It's not a statement I believe in’ [Mother Jones, 8/1/12, VIDEO]

Cruz Bragged On His Campaign Website About Intervening in Divorce Proceedings To Prevent Couple in Legal Civil Union From Being Recognized in Texas. According to his campaign website: “Ted Cruz has worked hard in defense of traditional marriage, including his intervention in a case protecting Texas marriage laws…When a Beaumont state court granted a divorce to two homosexual men who had gotten a civil union in Vermont, Cruz, under the leadership of Attorney General Greg Abbott, intervened in defense of the marriage laws of the State of Texas, which successfully led to the court judgment being vacated.” [Ted Cruz.org, Accessed 7/11/14]

In Response To Tim Cook Coming Out, Cruz Repeatedly Cited “Personal Choices.” According to The Hill: “Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) on Thursday responded to Apple CEO Tim Cook coming out as gay by saying that was Cook's ‘personal decision.’ Cruz, who opposes gay marriage, switched to the larger issue when asked on CNBC on Thursday about a piece by Cook in Bloomberg Businessweek in which Cook came out. ‘Those are his personal choices. I’ll tell you, I love my iPhone,’ Cruz said. ‘Listen, Tim Cook makes his personal decisions, and that is his life. My focus is on the constitutional question of who has the authority to make decisions,’ he later added.” [The Hill, 10/30/14; VIDEO]

Cruz Defended Sodomy Bans At Harvard. According to Bloomberg, “One classmate recalled spirited exchanges at Gannett House, the Greek Revival-style building that's housed the Harvard's law review since the 1920's, over the Georgia sodomy law. Yet Cruz's argument was narrowly focused on states' rights, they said. Since the right to gay sex is not written in the Constitution, the argument goes, the court couldn't invalidate the Georgia law and those like it deeming gax sex as illegal sodomy.” [Bloomberg, 4/29/2015]

Cruz Said Armed Forces Should Not Be A “Cauldron For Social Experiments” And Lifting Transgender Military Ban “Lost Sight Of What Their Job Is.”According to the Texas Tribune, “Saying the armed forces should not serve as a ‘cauldron for social experiments,’ U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, is voicing skepticism about the military's decision to end its ban on transgender soldiers. ‘How about having a military focusing on hunting down and killing bad guys?’ the presidential candidate said Monday during a stop in Sac City. ‘I think that should be the focus of the military instead of treating it as this, like, crucible for social justice innovations. We've lost sight of what their job is, and that's what we need to get back to.’ Cruz addressed the issue again a day later in Mount Pleasant, saying the Obama administration is ‘trying to pursue sexual identity politics’ by lifting the transgender ban.” [Texas Tribune, 10/13/2015]

Cruz Stopped Short Of Saying He Would Re-Introduce Transgender Military Ban If Elected President. The Texas Tribune reported, after criticizing the Obama administration’s lifting of the transgender military ban, “Yet in each city, Cruz stopped short of saying that, if elected president, he would bring back either the transgender ban or Don't Ask, Don't Tell, the policy that prohibited gay people from openly serving in the military. In Sac City, Cruz was specifically asked how he would handle the 2010 repeal of Don't Ask, Don't Tell under President Barack Obama. ‘I think military policy should follow what is necessary for good order and discipline, that we shouldn’t view the military as a cauldron for social experiments,’ Cruz replied. ‘And so on questions like that, my first question is going to be listen to the expert judgment of the generals and admirals.’” [Texas Tribune, 10/13/2015]

Cruz Said It Was “Lunacy” To Allow Transgender Kids To Use Facilities Consistent With Their Gender Identity. CNS News reported: “GOP presidential hopeful Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) spoke out Thursday on the growing debate over transgender policies for school facilities including restrooms and lockers, specifically the push for kids to use facilities consistent with their ‘gender identity.’ ‘The federal government is going after school districts, trying to force them to let boys shower with little girls,’ Cruz said on the conservative radio show ‘Louder With Crowder.’ ‘Now listen: I’m the father of two daughters, and the idea that the federal government is coming in saying that boys, with all the God-given equipment of boys, can be in the shower room with junior high girls – this is lunacy!’ ‘And I bet you there are a whole lot of parents – particularly parents of daughters – that are not eager to have the federal government saying ‘Guess what? Your daughter has to shower with a boy, if he wants to be in there,’’ he continued. Cruz later added, ‘You know, the funny thing is, my five-year-old knows there’s a difference between boys and girls, and yet modern Leftists can’t figure that out.’” [CNS News, 11/23/2015; Louder with Crowder, 11/20/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “2016 Is Going To Be A Religious Liberty Election” Which Was A “Lifetime Passion” For Him. Christian Post reported: “In the interview, part of a series on the views of presidential candidates, called ‘Candidate Conversations 2016,’ Robert P. George, professor of Jurisprudence at Princeton University, asked Cruz what he would do as President of the United States, to protect the rights of people of all faiths who believe in marriage as a union of a man and a woman. "This has been a life's passion fighting for it, and I'm convinced 2016 is going to be a religious liberty election," replied Texas senator Cruz in the 50-minute interview. "I've hosted now two religious liberty rallies, one in Iowa, one in South Carolina, they both had 2,000-3,000 people come out." [Christian Post, 12/6/2015; EWTN News, 11/25/2015; VIDEO]

Cruz Claimed Planned Parenthood Shooter Was “Transgendered Leftist Activist.” After Cruz pushed back on idea that Planned Parenthood Shooter was motivated by anti-abortion sentiments, “When a reporter reminded Cruz it has been reported Dear made a comment about ‘baby parts’ while being apprehended, Cruz retorted, ‘It’s also been reported that he was registered as an independent and a woman and a transgendered leftist activist. If that’s what he is, I don’t think it’s fair to blame on the rhetoric on the left. This is a murderer.’ Cruz's claim appeared to be based on a voter registration form that lists Dear's gender as female. ‘We know that he was a man who was registered to vote as a woman,’ Cruz said.” [Texas Tribune,11/29/2015]

Cruz Said Obama Was “More Interested In Promoting Homosexuality In The Military Than He Is In Defeating Our Enemy” And Decried Possibility Of Transgender Military Service As “Some Left-Wing Social Experiment.” Cruz participated in a conference call with Former nominee for Virginia Lt. Governor E.W. Jackson. Metro Weekly reported: “At Jackson’s provocation — ‘The military is beset with these new LGBT rules and I’m just hearing terrible things,’ he said — Cruz launched into an attack on the end of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell and the possibility of an end to the ban on transgender servicemembers. ‘You look at the military and one of the things we’ve seen is morale in the military under the Obama administration has plummeted, and it has plummeted because you have a commander-in-chief that doesn’t support our soldiers and sailors and airmen and marines,’ he said, adding that President Obama, ‘Treats the military as a cauldron for social experimentation. He’s more interested in promoting homosexuality in the military than he is in defeating our enemy.’ Cruz claims that the military is ‘now focused on trying to promote transgendered [sic] soldiers,’ decrying it as ‘some left-wing social experiment.’” [Metro Weekly, 12/3/2015]

Cruz Said Department Of Education Was “Trying To Force A Junior High To Let A Teenage Boy Shower With Teenage Girls…..My Five Year-Old Daughter…Knows The Difference Between Boys And Girls.” NBC News reported: “At a campaign stop in Spirit Lake, Iowa, Cruz blasted the Department of Education for ‘trying to force a junior high to let a teenage boy shower with the teenage girls.’ He often cites this on campaign stops as an example of federal overreach. Amid a pause and an audible ‘oh my’ from someone in the crowd, Cruz continued, ‘Look, my five-year-old daughter, Catherine - she knows the difference between boys and girls.’” [NBC News, 1/6/2016; VIDEO]

Cruz Said “Inflicting” A Transgender Teenager On A Teacher’s Bathroom “Is Probably Better Than Sticking Him In The Shower With The Teenage Girls.” At a campaign stop in Spirit Lake, Iowa, Cruz blasted the Department of Education for ‘trying to force a junior high to let a teenage boy shower with the teenage girls.’…..Cruz asked the audience how they would feel if their local school board allowed such an incident to happen. A woman, who would not give her name to NBC News, interrupted and told Cruz and the crowd about such an incident at the town's local high school, saying the student used the bathroom in the teachers' lounge. Cruz responded, ‘Look, I don't know the facts of that, but I'll say that inflicting - inflicting him on the teachers is probably better than sticking him in the shower with the teenage girls.’” [NBC News, 1/6/2016; VIDEO]

Cruz Signed A Pledge Vowing To Push For Passage Of The First Amendment Defense Act In His First 100 Days In Office. According to the American Principles Project, Cruz was one of six signers of their pledge to push for the First Amendment Defense Act in the first 100 days of their presidency. “American Principles Project has joined together with Heritage Action for America, the action arm of the Heritage Foundation, and FRC Action, the legislative affiliate of the Family Research Council, to invite each of the candidates running for President to sign the following pledge: ‘If elected, I pledge to push for the passage of the First Amendment Defense Act (FADA) and sign it into law during the first 100 days of my term as President.’” [American Principles Project, Accessed 1/7/2016]

Cruz Said He Was Referring To “Socially Liberal Or Pro-Abortion Or Pro-Gay Marriage” Attitudes When He Attacked Trump’s “New York Values.” According to Newsmax, “Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said at Thursday's GOP presidential debate he was referring to ‘socially liberal or pro-abortion or pro-gay marriage’ attitudes when he said his rival Donald Trump had ‘New York values.’ ‘Not too many years ago, Donald did a long interview with [NBC's] Tim Russert,’ Cruz said. ‘And in that interview he explained his views on a whole host of issues that were very, very different from the views he's describing now. And his explanation, he said, 'Look, I'm from New York, that's what we believe in New York. Those aren't Iowa values, but this is what we believe in New York.'’” [Newsmax, 1/14/2016]

Cruz Released Attacked Ad Against Trump Citing His “New York Values” Such As Past Moderation On Same-Sex Marriage. NBC reported: “Ted Cruz's campaign released its second attack ad against frontrunner Donald Trump on Monday — just one week out from the Iowa caucus and with polls indicating a potential slip in support for the Texas senator. ‘Donald Trump: New York values, not ours,’ a narrator's voice sternly states as haunting music with a rumbling bass plays in the background. The ad reprises several soundbites from a Meet the Press interview with Trump in 1999, when then-moderator Tim Russert pressed the real estate mogul on his views over abortion and gay marriage. In the interview, Trump told Russert his stances on the controversial social views were shaped by his residency in New York.” [NBC News, 1/25/2016]